The weather events of May 20, 2013 in America’s heartland captured not only the nation’s, but the world’s attention. The EF5 rated tornado touched down in Newcastle, OK, a southwest suburb of Oklahoma City and moved west into Moore. Along the way the storm grew to it’s enormous size, staying on the ground for some 45 minutes wreaking devastation and death all along the way.

In the hours that followed the storm a video appeared on YouTube from Jason Leger who watched from his yard as the storm first formed and bore down on the family home in Newcastle. Finally taking refuge in their storm cellar at the pleas of his wife and children, Jason emerged a few minutes later video recording what he saw. And what he saw was his home completely destroyed. He says the only reason he posted the video was so family and friends could know they were all OK. As he filmed, though, he observed, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.” By the next day, Jason was being interviewed on Good Morning America and his video aired on Fox News, the BBC and other national and international news outlets.

Jason’s was not an expected response. His assessment of what had just happened was not based on meteorology or profit/loss, his was first and foremost a faith response.

Our “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Faith” interview with Jason Leger brings us face to face with faith at its finest. A faith that is more than a worship-attending, Bible-spouting, contemporary-Christian-music-listening, variety; rather one that bears up under the nitty-gritty, hard scrabble, tough breaks of life.

Jason’s videos:

The tornado first forming over Newcastle, OK (listen for his wife and kids begging him to get into the shelter)

The tornado bears down on the Leger home. Jason is filming from the storm cellar door.

Jason emerges from the storm cellar (the video that went viral)

Photos:

The Leger Family

The Leger’s home

Jason on Good Morning America

Some of the volunteers at the Leger’s

Jason’s Favorite Bible Passages:

Listen for Jason’s thoughts on, not a particular passage, but how this whole experience has effected his thinking on the biblical concept of mercy.

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